Registration apparatus and method for imaging at variable resolutions

1. An imaging system for registering electrical images at a plurality of selectable resolutions, comprising: an optical system; and, a sensing system further comprising a number of photosensor arrays wherein said number is an integer N greater than or equal to 2, said photosensor arrays having optical line spacings OLS(K+1:K) in reference to a leading photosensor array K and with respect to a lagging photosensor array K+1, for K equal to an integer from 1 to N-1, each of said number of N photosensor arrays further including a corresponding number of N transfer gate receiving means, so that, each of said N photosensor arrays is capable of being independently triggered to convert optical signals into electrical signals in response to a corresponding one of a plurality of transfer gate signals, TG.sub.i (t), for i equal to an integer from 1 to N, wherein each one of said transfer gate signals has a periodicity T and angular frequency .omega., said transfer gate signals being of the general form TG.sub.i (t)=TG.sub.i (.omega.(t-.tau..sub.i)).

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of photosensor arrays comprises a color filter stripe for color spectral separation.

3. The system of claim 2 said number of N photosensor arrays comprises three photosensor arrays, a blue photosensor array, a green photosensor array and a red photosensor array for blue, green and red color spectral separation, respectively, said blue, green and red photosensor arrays further including a blue, green and red transfer gate receiving means, respectively.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said green photosensor array and said blue photosensor have a green-blue optical line spacing referenced by OLS(G:B), said red photosensor array and said blue photosensor have a red-blue optical line spacing herein referenced by OLS(R:B), and, said red photosensor array and said green photosensor have a red-green optical line spacing herein referenced by OLS(R:G).

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said green photosensor array and said blue photosensor array have a green-blue lineskip referenced by LINESKIP(G:B), said red photosensor array and said blue photosensor array have a red-blue lineskip referenced by LINESKIP(R:B), and said red photosensor array and said green photosensor array have a red-green lineskip referenced by LINESKIP(R:G), at said selected resolution, and are defined as follows: ##EQU16##

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said green photosensor array and said blue photosensor have a green-blue fractional lineskip referenced by FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B), said red photosensor array and said blue photosensor array have a red-blue fractional lineskip referenced by FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B), and, said red photosensor array and said green photosensor array have a red-green fractional lineskip referenced by FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:G), at said selected resolution, and defined as follows:

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of transfer gate signals TG.sub.i (t)=TG.sub.i (.omega.(t-.tau..sub.i)) for i equal to an integer from 1 to 3, comprises a blue transfer gate signal TG.sub.B (.omega.t) corresponding to said blue transfer gate receiving means for said blue photosensor array, a green transfer gate signal TG.sub.G (.omega.t) corresponding to said green transfer gate receiving means for said green photosensor array, and a red transfer gate signal TG.sub.R (.omega.t) corresponding to said red transfer gate receiving means for said red photosensor array, said blue, green and red transfer gate signals being generally defined as follows: TG.sub.1 (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.t) TG.sub.2 (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.(t-.tau.)) TG.sub.3 (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t-.sigma.)).

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said green transfer gate signal further comprises a time shifted transfer gate signal, said time-shifted green transfer gate signal being delayed by an amount .tau., wherein said time delay .tau. equals the product of said green-blue fractional lineskip and the periodicity, T, of said transfer gate signals as follows: EQU .tau.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B).times.T, such that, said green transfer gate signal is of the form: TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.)).

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said red transfer gate signal further comprises a time shifted transfer gate signal, said time shifted red transfer gate signal being delayed by an amount .sigma., wherein said time delay .sigma. equals the product of said red-blue fractional lineskip and the periodicity, T, of said transfer gate signals as follows: EQU .sigma.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B).times.T, such that, said red transfer gate signal is of the form: TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.sigma.)).

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said green transfer gate signal further comprises a time shifted transfer gate signal, said time-shifted green transfer gate signal being advanced by an amount T-.tau., wherein said time advance is defined as follows, EQU T-.tau.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B)).times.T, and, wherein said green transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.)(t+T-.tau.)).

11. The system of claim 7 wherein said red transfer gate signal further comprises a time shifted transfer gate signal, said time shifted red transfer gate signal being advanced by an amount T-.sigma., wherein said time advance T-.sigma. is defined as follows, EQU T-.sigma.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B)).times.T, and, wherein said red transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)).

12. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of transfer gate signals comprises a blue transfer gate signal TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.)) corresponding to said blue transfer gate receiving means for said blue photosensor array, a green transfer gate signal TG.sub.G (.omega.t) corresponding to said green transfer gate receiving means for said green photosensor array, and a red transfer gate signal TG.sub.R (.omega.(t-.phi.)) corresponding to said red transfer gate receiving means for said red photosensor array, said blue, green and red transfer gate signals being generally defined as follows: EQU TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.))=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:G).times.T) EQU TG.sub.G (.omega.t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.t) EQU TG.sub.R (.omega.(t-.phi.))=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:G).times.T)). 13.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of transfer gate signals comprises a blue transfer gate signal TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.)) corresponding to said blue transfer gate receiving means for said blue photosensor array, a green transfer gate signal TG.sub.G (.omega.(t-.sigma.)) corresponding to said green transfer gate receiving means for said green photosensor array, and a red transfer gate signal TG.sub.R (.omega.t) corresponding to said red transfer gate receiving means for said red photosensor array, said blue, green and red transfer gate signals being generally defined as follows: EQU TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.))=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:R).times.T) EQU TG.sub.G (.omega.(t-.sigma.))=TG.sub.G (.omega.t-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:R).times.T) EQU TG.sub.R (.omega.t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.t).

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the lineskip at a selected resolution with respect to said leading photosensor array K with respect to said lagging photosensor array K+1 is comprised as follows: ##EQU17## wherein said OLS is the Optical Line Spacing with respect to said leading color sensor array K and said lagging color sensor array K+1 in units of optical scan lines, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the fractional lineskip at said selected resolution with respect to said leading photosensor array K and a lagging photosensor array K+1 comprises the fractional component of said lineskip, as follows: EQU FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K)=FRACTIONAL (LINESKIP(K+1:K)).

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of said corresponding number of N transfer gate signals TG.sub.i (.omega.t) is shifted with respect to time, said time shift being of the form .tau..sub.i =FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K).times.T, where i=K+1.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of said corresponding number of N transfer gate signals TG.sub.i (.omega.t) is shifted with respect to time said time shift being of the form T-.tau..sub.i =(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K)).times.T, where i=K+1.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a Charged Coupled Device, (CCD), having a plurality of photosensor arrays.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the lineskip at a selected resolution with respect to said leading photosensor array K and a lagging photosensor array K+1 comprises: ##EQU18## wherein said OLS(K+1:K) is the Optical Line Spacing with respect to said leading color sensor array K and said lagging color sensor array K+1 in units of optical scan lines, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the fractional lineskip at said selected resolution with respect to said leading photosensor array K and a lagging photosensor array K+1 comprises the fractional component of said lineskip, as follows: EQU FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K)=FRACTIONAL(LINESKIP(K+1:K)).

21. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one of said corresponding number of N transfer gate signals TG.sub.i (.omega.t) is shifted with respect to time said time shift being of the form .tau..sub.i =FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K).times.T, where i=K+1.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one of said corresponding number of N transfer gate signals TG.sub.i (.omega.t) is shifted with respect to time said time shift being of the form T-.tau..sub.i =(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K)).times.T, where i=K+1.

23. A method for registering fractionally shifted blue, green and red integrated scenes for an imaging system, said imaging system comprising an optical system and a sensing system, said sensing system including a trilinear CCD having blue, green and red photosensor arrays for blue, green and red spectral separation, respectively, said CCD further having an optical line spacing between said red and green photosensor arrays OLS(R:G), an optical line spacing between said green and blue photosensor arrays OLS(G:B) and an optical line spacing between said red and blue photosensor arrays OLS(R:B), wherein each of said blue, green and red color photosensor arrays further includes a corresponding transfer gate receiving means, so that, each of said blue, green and red photosensor arrays is capable of being independently triggered to convert optical signals into electrical signals in response to a corresponding blue, green and red transfer gate signal, TG.sub.B (t), TG.sub.G (t), TG.sub.R (t), respectively, and wherein each one of said transfer gate signals has a periodicity, T, and angular frequency .omega., said transfer gate signals being of the general form TG(t)=TG(.omega.(t-.tau.)), said method comprising the steps of: a) selecting a resolution for a scan; b) calculating a green-blue lineskip, LINESKIP(G:B), between said green photosensor array and said blue photosensor array at said selected resolution as follows: ##EQU19## c) calculating the green-blue fractional lineskip, FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B), for said resolution by taking the fractional component of said green-blue lineskip according to the following: ##EQU20## d) calculating a red-blue lineskip, LINESKIP(R:B), between said red photosensor array and said blue photosensor array at said selected resolution as follows: ##EQU21## e) calculating the red-blue fractional lineskip, FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B), for said resolution by taking the fractional component of said red-blue lineskip according to the following: ##EQU22## f) calculating a time shift comprising a time delay, .tau., wherein said time delay .tau. equals the product of said green-blue fractional lineskip and the periodicity, T. of said transfer gate signals as follows: EQU .tau.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B).times.T; g) calculating a time shift comprising a time delay, .sigma., wherein said time delay .sigma. equals the product of said red-blue fractional lineskip and the periodicity, T, of said transfer gate signals as follows: EQU .sigma.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B).times.T; h) providing a blue transfer gate signal to said receiving means of said blue photosensor array, said blue transfer gate signal being of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.t); i) providing a time shifted transfer gate signal to said receiving means for said green photosensor array, said green transfer gate signal being delayed by an amount .tau., such that, said green transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.tau.)); j) providing a time shifted transfer gate signal to said receiving means for said red photosensor array, said red transfer gate signal being delayed by an amount .tau. with respect to said blue transfer gate signal, such that, said red transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t-.sigma.)); k) triggering said blue, green and red photosensor arrays with said blue, green and red transfer gate signals, respectively.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said time shifts are time advances T-.tau. and T-.sigma. said time advances being further defined as follows: EQU T-.tau.=1-(FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:B).times.T), and, EQU T-.sigma.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:B)).times.T, such that, said transfer gate signals are of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.t); EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t+T-.tau.)); EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.B (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)). 25.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein step (b) calculating said green-blue lineskip at said selected resolution is computed as follows: ##EQU23## wherein said Scanned Pixel Size and said Optical Line Spacing are in units of distance, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein step (d) calculating said red-blue lineskip at said selected resolution is computed as follows: ##EQU24## wherein said Scanned Pixel Size and said Optical Line Spacing are in units of distance, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines.

27. The method of claim 23 further including the step of calculating the red-green lineskip, LINESKIP(R:G), between said red photosensor array and said green photosensor array at said selected resolution is computed as follows: ##EQU25##

28. The method of claim 23 wherein said time shifts are time advances T-.tau. and T-.sigma. said time advances being further defined as follows: EQU T-.tau.=1-(FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:G).times.T), and, EQU T-.sigma.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:G)).times.T, such that, said transfer gate signals are of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.(t+T-.tau.,)); EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.t); EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)). 29.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein said time shifts are time advances T-.tau. and T-.sigma. said time advances being further defined as follows: EQU T-.tau.=1-(FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:R).times.T), and EQU T-.sigma.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:R)).times.T, such that said transfer gate signals are of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t+T-.tau.)); EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)); EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.t).

30. The method of claim 23 wherein said time shifts are time delays, .tau. and .sigma., said time delays being further defined as follows: EQU .tau.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:G).times.T and, EQU .sigma.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(R:G).times.T, such that said transfer gate signals are of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.(t+T-.tau.)); EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.t); EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.G (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)). 31.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein said time shifts are time delays .tau. and .sigma., said time delays being further defined as follows: EQU .tau.=FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(B:R).times.T and, EQU .sigma.=1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(G:R).times.T, such that said transfer gate signals are of the form: EQU TG.sub.B (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t+T-.tau.)); EQU TG.sub.G (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.(t+T-.sigma.)); EQU TG.sub.R (t)=TG.sub.R (.omega.t). 32.

32. A method for registering a plurality of fractionally shifted integrated scenes for an imaging system comprising an optical system and a sensing system, said sensing system including an integer number of photosensor arrays wherein said integer is a number N greater than or equal to 2, said photosensor arrays having optical line spacings OLS(K+1:K) in reference to a leading photosensor array K and with respect to a lagging photosensor array K+1, for K equal to an integer from 1 to N-1, and wherein each of said plurality of N photosensor arrays further includes corresponding N transfer gate receiving means, so that, each of said N photosensor arrays is capable of being independently triggered to convert optical signals into electrical signals in response to a corresponding one of a plurality of transfer gate signals, TG.sub.i (t), where i is an integer from 1 to N, and wherein each one of said transfer gate signals has a periodicity T and angular frequency .omega., said transfer gate signals being of the general form TG.sub.i (t)=TG.sub.i (.omega.(t-.tau..sub.i)), said method comprising the steps of: a) selecting a resolution for a scan; b) calculating the Lineskip, LINESKIP (K+1:K), between a leading photosensor array K and a lagging photosenor array K+1, at said selected resolution as follows: ##EQU26## wherein said Optical Line Spacing, OLS(K+1:K), is the interchannel spacing between said leading photosensor sensor array K and said lagging photosensor array K+1 in units of optical scan lines, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines; c) calculating the Fractional Lineskip, FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K), for said resolution by taking the fractional component of said Lineskip according to the following: ##EQU27## d) calculating a time shift comprising a time delay, .tau..sub.i, wherein said time delay .tau..sub.i equals the product of the fractional lineskip and the periodicity T of said transfer gate signals as follows: EQU .tau..sub.i =FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K).times.T where i=K+1; e) providing a time shifted transfer gate signal to said receiving means of said lagging photosensor sensor, said transfer gate signal being delayed by an amount .tau., such that said transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.i (t)=TG(.omega.(t-.tau..sub.i)) where i=K+1; f) triggering said lagging photosensor array K+1 with said time shifted transfer gate signal.

33. The method of claim 32 further including the steps of providing N transfer gate signals, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, said transfer gate signals being of the form: ##EQU28## and wherein .tau..sub.i is equal to the product of T and the Fractional lineskip for a leading photosensor K and a lagging photosensor K+1, defined as follows: EQU .tau..sub.i =T.times.FRACTIONAL LINESKIP(K+1:K), where i=K+1 for i=1, 2, . . . N.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said time shift in step (d) is an advance, T-.tau., said time advance being further defined as follows: T-.tau.=(1-FRACTIONAL LINESKIP).times.T, such that, said transfer gate signal is of the form: EQU TG.sub.ADVANCE (t)=TG(.omega.(t+T-.tau.)).

35. The method of claim 34 further including the steps of providing N transfer gate signals, wherein i is an integer from 2 to N, and wherein said transfer gate signals are of the form: ##EQU29##

36. The method of claim 32 wherein step (b) calculating the Lineskip between a leading photosensor array and a lagging photosensor array at said selected resolution is computed as follows: wherein said Scanned Pixel Size and said Optical Line Spacing are in units of distance, and wherein said lineskip is in units of scan lines.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein said sensing system comprises a CCD having N photosensor arrays.